


To Fool the Wheel of Time

by hannelore



Category: Tangled (2010)
Genre: Gen, Misses Clause Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 18:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/298631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannelore/pseuds/hannelore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What constitutes a villain? It's somebody who wants something with such intensity and such great need but comes to a place of not being bound by any kind of moral code or any sense of what's ethical. Or any sense of being concerned with any consequences and how they might affect someone else. They will do anything to get what they want." - Donna Murphy</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Fool the Wheel of Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isabeau](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isabeau/gifts).



> Many thanks to pauraque for being an excellent beta!

The cottage was cold. Gisele cursed herself for being out so late; she knew she would be in trouble now. She listened, but heard no sound upstairs. Mother Gothel must be awake. She sighed, preparing herself for the reprimand.

"Godmother?" Gisele pushed the door to the bedroom open, peering inside.

"The room’s cold," the old woman muttered from the bed. Gisele slipped inside and hurried to the hearth.

"I know," she said, "I’m sorry."

"You’ve been off to see Hans Peter, haven’t you?" A rusty chuckle. Gisele shook her head.

"I was delivering your ointments," Gisele said, finally getting the fire alight. "Don’t you remember?"

"Oh," Mother Gothel sighed, her voice raspy. "I had been hoping you had been off with him."

"Not at all," Gisele said as she fussed with the blankets on Mother Gothel’s bed, making sure she was tucked in warmly.

Privately, the truth was that Gisele cared for no one. She had courted by plenty; they had lined up outside Gothel’s cottage to see the beautiful young apprentice, but she preferred none. It wasn’t that she sought to be choosy, but she was more in love with magic than people.

"Tell me again about the sun’s flower," Gisele said, pulling up a chair to Gothel’s bedside. Gothel frowned and was about to protest when another wracking cough shook her body. Gisele was becoming more concerned for her mentor’s welfare. When she had first been accepted as an apprentice to Corona’s Godmother, known to all as Mother Gothel, she had been mesmerized by the woman’s beauty. But over the years she had seen Gothel succumb to the ravages of age just as everyone else did.

"My time is short," Gothel croaked. "Before I die I must know that you will keep your mind to your studies, to the healing arts that you already know. Not the foolishness of a fairy tale."

"But if I found the flower," Gisele said excitedly, "wouldn’t I be an even greater Godmother? An ointment can only do so much, but the power to heal completely..."

"No one lives forever," Gothel said quietly. "No one should live forever. It is the way of demons."

Gisele shook her head slowly. "I don’t believe that. The sun wouldn’t give such a gift if it was an evil one. Didn’t you ever think to look for the flower yourself, to wish to be young forever?"

"You think too much of yourself," Gothel said with a cough. "The citizens rely on their Godmother to be ageless only in spirit, passing their gift from one woman to the next. You will not only wear my name, Gisele, but all the responsibility that goes with it."

"Of course," Gisele said, bowing her head silently. "I will endeavor to be as well-respected as you, Mother. I can only hope that I will be."

Gisele caught sight of her image in the mirror as she went down the stairs, looking away quickly.

***

When Mother Gothel died, Gisele paid the ferryman to bear her body across the harbor and bury her in an unmarked grave deep in the forest. There was nothing unusual about this. No one would speak of Mother Gothel’s death; it would be bad luck to do so. To say that the city’s Godmother had died would mean the city had no Godmother and no city wanted that.

After she became Godmother, Gothel noticed that the men who had once pursued her no longer did so openly. The baker’s son no longer blushed when he handed her a loaf of bread, instead he lowered his eyes respectfully.

"This bread is burnt on the bottom," Gothel said sternly, handing it back to him.

"My sincere apologies," he said hastily, "I’ll bring you another right away, Mother."

When he returned, he had two loaves and he turned them over so she could see they were perfect. She brushed his fingertips with hers as she gave him her coins, watching his face for any reaction. She knew at one time he would have desired this greatly, but now his face was without emotion.

"Blessings on your house," she murmured. He was greatly relieved by her blessing, of course. After all, her word was sacred. Gothel felt a surge of pride at the power and respect her words now commanded. This is what she had been waiting for.

***

Gothel knew she would be the first to know if the Queen was in labor. Only Gothel had been privy to the Queen’s unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy, thanks to the gossip passed down to her by Ella, the Queen’s personal servant.

When she banged on Gothel's door early that morning, the look of panic on Ella’s face seemed to allude to ill news.

"Mother Gothel," she whispered. "It is worse than we feared this time. The Queen should be birthing any day now, but she is gravely ill. We fear she will not even have the strength to attempt to deliver the child. His Majesty..."

She swayed and gripped the table, clearly exhausted. Gothel guided her to a chair and went to put the kettle on the fire.

"Surely you must know," Ella said, her hand to her head, "You must know where the sun's flower is!"

Gothel was undisturbed. She had heard this lament from the royals before. She would shrug and say it was mere legend, a fantastical story of long ago.

"Poor dear," Gothel murmured, sitting down across from the desperate woman. "I realize your plight and the plight of your mistress, but I only have the same words that I have given to you before! No flower has been discovered for hundreds of years. If the legend were true, it would have been found by now."

"The King will order every man, woman and child to seek the flower tonight," Ella said, her voice again hushed and frightened. "He will not let the kingdom rest until it is found. And if she dies..."

"The King of Corona is a benevolent man," Gothel said. "Do you seriously think he would harm his citizens because they could not find something out of a fairy tale?"

"He has changed," Ella said. "I hear his kindness has been replaced by a mad desire, particularly now that the Queen's own life is in danger. It will go very ill for all of us if she dies."

Gothel retrieved the boiling kettle from the fireplace, making the tea in silence to gather her thoughts.

"The only assistance I can offer is this," Gothel said solemnly as she handed Ella the mug of tea. "There is a chance, an extremely slim chance that the the sun’s flower exists. If it has not found on land, perhaps the drop of sunlight fell into the water and the flower now blooms under the sea."

"Under the sea?" Ella exclaimed. "But how can it be found there?"

"In the darkness, its glow may be visible from the surface of the water," Gothel replied. "It will not reveal itself in the daylight, only at night."

"Only at night," Ella repeated. She got up hastily, leaving her mug untouched. "I will convey your wise words to their Majesties immediately."

She gave Gothel a hasty curtsey and departed. Gothel knew she must make the journey to the flower tonight, just to make sure it was still safe.

***

Gothel heard the revelry from the city all through the night and into the next morning. There had not been this much celebration since the King himself was crowned as a boy. Ella herself brought a letter from the King and Queen to Gothel, thanking her for her help in finding the sun’s flower.

"It was found in the harbor, then?" Gothel said innocently.

"Not in the harbor," Ella said, "but on a high cliff, not far from the city. But your insistence that it existed kept our hope alive!"

For weeks after the royal child was born, Gothel was used to coming back to her cottage to find gifts on her doorstep. All these things she brought to the tower where her mentor had trained her, where her mentor herself had been trained. It was a tower protected by ancient magic where many girls before her had been trained in secret to perfect their craft. The tower would be the perfect place for what Gothel planned to do.

***

Of course no one suspected Gothel of kidnapping the young princess. Not respected, revered Mother Gothel. Gothel had made sure to leave her cottage as if it appeared as if she had just gone out on an errand... then somehow had never returned. They were horrified she had disappeared. And for her disappearance to coincide with that of the princess... This only heaped misfortune on misfortune's head.

***

The baby's howling reverberated against the walls of the tower. Gothel knew the child was well fed, she had just set her down to sleep not more than a hour ago. She was not worried about someone hearing the child, but lying in her bed, unable to block out the incessant crying, Gothel thought she might go mad. Sleeping was impossible.

Gothel rocked the child in her arms, exhausted. Rapunzel's wails continued unabated. No amount of singing or kisses seemed to soothe her. Gothel had just turned to the window when she saw the first lanterns rise over the treetops. First, she thought she was seeing things, but then as the lanterns continued to rise, she knew there must be hundreds of them. Thousands, perhaps.

"Look," Gothel crooned to the baby, turning her face toward the sky. "Look at the lights, flower."

To her amazement, the baby took in a deep breath as if to cry again but instead exhaled in a soft coo. The girl's eyes widened as she watched the lanterns float upward in their soaring ascent. She wriggled in Gothel's arms and Gothel brought her closer to the window to watch. Rocking her gently, Gothel watched as the child fell asleep. Gothel sighed with relief, standing by the window until the last of the lanterns floated out of sight. From that night on, she knew she could soothe Rapunzel instantly with just the sight of a glowing candle.

***

It was still too risky for Gothel to go back and forth to Corona for food or supplies, even disguised she could not risk being followed. Instead, she kept a small garden and hunted for wild game to keep them fed for now. Gothel had learned how to be self-sufficient during her training and it served her well now.

The child was a quick learner; her language was blossoming and she would repeat the words that Gothel would speak to her at the window. Forest. Bird. Sun. When she started to speak sentences, inquiries, Gothel began think that she was ready. But not yet. The moment that she knew was when the girl started to repeat a little song that she had been singing to the child as a lullaby. She smiled, but she wanted to make sure the girl would be able to repeat the words back perfectly, lest the incantation not be sufficient.

She would gently correct the girl at first, but as the backs of her hands begin to wrinkle, she became impatient. Rapunzel looked up at her inquisitively, eager to comply but unable to wrap her young tongue around the correct pronunciations. Gothel slammed the book down by the bedside in exasperation and stood up.

"Go sit by the fireplace," Gothel said sternly. Rapunzel did as she was told. "Now, if you sing the song as I taught it to you, your hair will glow... but if you do not, then you will sit here in the cold and darkness."

Gothel turned to go, hearing the little voice plead with her as she quenched every light in the tower, including the dim coals in the hearth. When all the lights were out, she went upstairs to the Rapunzel's bedroom and left the child alone. It was many hours that she paced in the room, becoming more and more worried that Rapunzel would not be able to recite the incantation. Finally, she went out and to her amazement, there was a pale glow near the fireplace. A quiet, trembling little song.

Gothel went down the stairs and lit the fireplace, which reflected the shivering child's tear-stained face. She embraced Rapunzel tenderly. Later, when she tucked Rapunzel in her warm bed, she told Rapunzel the story of her magical gift.

"You must do everything I tell you," Gothel said, stroking Rapunzel’s hair. "If you do everything I say, you will always be safe."

 

***

Gothel could tell the citizens were surprised upon her return, but of course they knew it would be disrespectful to ask where she had been or why she had left. Word of her return must have traveled swiftly to the palace, because when she arrived at her old cottage, Ella was already there waiting. She was clearly surprised to see Gothel and it seemed to Gothel that Ella certainly wanted to hear about Gothel’s unusual absence. But Gothel said nothing.

"The city seems in good spirits," Gothel said as she walked into the cottage. Someone must have been keeping her cottage clean while she was away. Fortunately it was not stuffy, but it smelled too strongly of lavender.

"Good spirits," Ella said, wringing her hands, "for today, anyway." Gothel raised an eyebrow in question. "It's the birthday of the lost princess. She would have been --" Ella counted silently on her fingers, "eleven today."

"Dear me," Gothel said, smoothing her dress as she sat down by the fire. "Lost, you say. What happened to the poor child?"

"She was stolen from the castle," Ella said. "As the King and Queen were sleeping, they woke up only in time to see her snatched away.

"How terrible," Gothel mused. "But eleven years.. have they given up on another child?"

Ella nodded. "Completely. They rarely speak! They move about the castle like clockwork. The passage of days is nothing to them but to mark their grief."

"But if there is no heir..." Gothel said. "...what then?"

"No one knows," Ella said darkly. "You should hear the gossip in the taverns. 'Put the crown on any young whelp, God knows the orphanage is full of them!' But.." Ella's voice was hushed and she looked around nervously. "You can't put a crown on a bastard and call him a king. Our miracle was spent, and on what? The lost princess."

"You sound bitter," Gothel said, though it was difficult for her not to look amused.

"No!" Ella said, shocked. "I just... life is so difficult now. Today is the only day of celebration, which seems a mockery when we must celebrate the very thing that has steeped us in this gloom."

Gothel nodded. "Indeed."

Once Ella had departed, Gothel leaned back in her chair and smiled. She knew Corona's demise was not long off. Prolonged grief could bring upon a swift death; she would not be surprised at all if the Queen succumbed to it. The King would no doubt follow soon after, loyal to the end. Then, and only then, might the lost princess return.

***

When she had returned from the city, Gothel had brought Rapunzel some much-cherished paints.

"Remember dear," Gothel said, "these are just for your paintings on the walls."

"Only walls?" Rapunzel looked up at her with a flicker of disappointment.

"Only walls," Gothel repeated. She noticed, however, that Rapunzel looked longingly at her small table and chairs. Gothel smiled. Better to indulge the child with small things, particularly when she was so easy to please. "Oh, very well, the table and chairs as well."

"Oh yes, thank you!" Rapunzel grinned gleefully and sat herself down next to the nearest table leg with brush in hand.

"Oh, Rapunzel," Gothel sighed. "But where will we eat dinner tonight, if the table is wet?"

"We could eat on the floor?"

"What, a picnic?"

Rapunzel looked at her, confused.

"A picnic, dear. It's when you put a blanket on the floor and you eat upon it."

"Oh!" Rapunzel smiled again. "That sounds wonderful, can we have a picnic?"

"Only if the table is still wet by supper time," Gothel said. "We can't eat on the floor all the time, that would be uncivilized. Crumbs would get on the floor and before you know it the ants would be monstrous."

"The ants," Rapunzel repeated. "You mean the little bugs that are eating the apple core under my --" she stopped suddenly.

"Eating the what?" Gothel frowned.

"Nothing!" Gothel knew this chipper little sound of feigned innocence. Gothel narrowed her gaze at Rapunzel and started to go up the staircase to her bedroom.

"Wait, wait, wait," Rapunzel pleaded, running up the staircase ahead of her. "I was just curious, I saw them there and I wanted to see what they would do."

"If a bird started pecking at your silly little brain," Gothel scoffed, "would you let it continue just to see what it would _do_?"

"I didn't think it was hurting anything..." Rapunzel said uneasily.

"Ugh!" Gothel exclaimed, noticing the trail of ants leading under Rapunzel's bed. "Go fetch hot water from the kettle, now!"

Rapunzel hurried out of sight, leaving Gothel to step disgustedly around the ants. It had been some time since she had been in Rapunzel's bedroom. She noticed a few potted plants in the corner, wilted and dying.

"And what are you doing with those?" Gothel pointed out the plants once Rapunzel had returned.

"I wanted to see what happened when they don't get any sunlight," Rapunzel took a deep breath. "See, this one here, I kept watering it but the other one I didn't water and you can see the difference between the two." Gothel tried to interrupt but Rapunzel chattered on. "Even though this one is watered in the dark, it still seems happier than the other but clearly the plants that get sun and water are the happiest of all."

Gothel held up a hand, which silenced Rapunzel immediately.

"You will clean up that," she pointed under the bed with a grimace of disgust, "and that" -- to the plants -- "before supper tonight. I will be checking your bedroom to make sure you have done a very thorough job."

"Yes, Mother," Rapunzel looked down at her feet. She looked up, a touch hopeful. "Can we still have a picnic?"

Gothel gave Rapunzel an indulgent smile. She could see Rapunzel's shoulders lower at once, the relief without words.

"If you get your work done straight away."

"Of course," Rapunzel said, nodding as she reached for the pail.

"Rapunzel."

"Yes?"

Gothel held up a small pair of scissors that she had just now noticed on the bedside table. "Why are these here?"

"I..." Gothel noticed Rapunzel look fleetingly toward the curtains around her bed.

"These are only meant for cutting the fabric for your dresses," Gothel said. "Anything else will dull them immediately and I do not have money to be spending replacing ruined things." Rapunzel nodded. "You know, I was concerned maybe you were here because you fancied cutting your hair..."

"Oh no," Rapunzel said, aghast, "I would never do that!"

"What, not even out of curiosity?" Gothel looked at her closely.

"Never, not ever," Rapunzel insisted. She touched her hair, pulling it around her protectively. "I love my hair, I would never touch a single strand."

"Good." Gothel smiled, touching Rapunzel's cheek.

"I'm sorry about the apple," Rapunzel said quietly. She winced. "And the plants."

"I forgive you," Gothel said, chuckling and patting Rapunzel's cheek gently. "Just don't do it again.

"Of course not."

Gothel took the scissors with her. Just in case.

***

Gothel dreamed that she was sitting on the throne, just having crowned as the new Queen. Rapunzel was at her side, smiling up at her obediently. But then Rapunzel stood up and raised her arms to the skies. Gothel looked up, but when she looked back at Rapunzel, she saw to her astonishment that she had sprouted wings. Rapunzel began to beat her wings to lift her into the air and as she did, her long hair started to fall out. In her dream, Gothel had tried desperately to gather up the hair in her arms, but it shone with the blinding light of the sun and she could not see... until she awoke, her heart pounding.

***

"Mother, tell me about the sea."

"Not now," Gothel yawned. "Mother is tired, dearest."

"If you would let me go outside," Rapunzel huffed, "I could see it myself."

Gothel was not in any mood for one of Rapunzel's little spats. At sixteen, Rapunzel had started up the same familiar whine as if she were five years old again. To go outdoors, to go outside, to leave the tower. It was days like these that Gothel was reminded of what a curse Rapunzel could be, what an ungrateful child.

"There is no reason to go outside," Gothel said irritably. "Do you not remember how dangerous it is out there?"

"I just thought you meant that for when I was younger," Rapunzel said, kneeling by Gothel's chair. Gothel looked at her warily.

"That's ridiculous," Gothel said. "Why should I risk your life any less now that you are older?"

"Animals take risks all the time," Rapunzel said. "I saw a mother bird make her nest right in the plant pot on my windowsill and I've watched baby birds from the moment they hatch to when they first take flight! They're so hesitant at first, sometimes the mother bird has to practically push them out."

"The birds have no gift to be protected," Gothel said. "If they did have such a gift, the mother bird would make sure they never left the nest."

"But wouldn't the nest get too small?"

Gothel glowered at her. "You're not satisfied? After all I've given you?"

Rapunzel stood up suddenly and went over to the windowsill.

"But why can't I leave the nest?" Rapunzel said, leaning against the sill. Gothel could see the breeze touch her hair, brushing it back. "I want to fly, I feel like I could fly..."

Gothel stood up and noticed the little nest that Rapunzel had been so closely observing. Three little blue eggs were nestled within. Gothel picked up one of the eggs.

"Do you think this little bird can fly?" Gothel said softly. "Surely if I threw it hard enough, do you think? Just a little push, wouldn't that be enough for our little robin to go wherever she pleased?"

Rapunzel gasped, horrified, and grabbed Gothel's wrist. "No, she's not ready! Please, please put it back."

Gothel waited a moment longer, looking at Rapunzel's terrified face. At last, she put the egg back in its nest and gave it a gentle little pat. Then she patted the top of Rapunzel's head.

"Do you understand now?"

"Yes." Rapunzel's voice was barely a whisper.

***

After the incident earlier that day, Rapunzel was particularly eager to please Gothel and make amends. While Gothel appreciated this, it also meant that Rapunzel was constantly underfoot. Gothel was hesitant to push her away, however. Better to keep her close where she could know Rapunzel’s innermost thoughts, to push away any ideas of rebelling. Gothel sat by Rapunzel’s bedside, waiting for her to come upstairs.

"Will you stay with me until I fall sleep?" Rapunzel asked, getting under the covers.

"I don’t think I’ve done that since you were a little girl," Gothel said with a teasing smile. "Are you frightened?"

"No," Rapunzel said. "I’m not frightened, I just... I’d feel better if you stayed."

"I will stay."

Gothel took it as a sign that all would be well; Rapunzel needed her and no foolish little questions could unravel Gothel’s greater plans.

Once Rapunzel fell asleep, Gothel went to her own bedroom. She, too, would sleep well tonight.

-the end-


End file.
